After 28 years:Erich Demetz resigns from chairmanship of FIS World Cup Committee
For the past 50 years skiing pioneer, Erich Demetz, has shaped the ongoings of the skiing world as an honorary functionary not only in Val Gardena, but even in Italy and on the international stage. Demetz will hand over his chairmanship of the FIS World Cup Committe next spring after 28 years and will thereby end his career.
“The Ski Club Gardena chose me as their chairman 50 years ago. Since then, in a variety of functions on a local and international level, I have been able to celebrate numerous sporting and sports-political successes, but have also had to witness tragedies such as the fatal accidents of Leonardo David, Ulrike Mayr and Gernot Reinstadler,” Erich Demetz sums up his career this evening at the press centre in S. Cristina.
It will all end with the FIS Congress in Barcelona in 2014. “FIS President Gianfranco Kaspar asked me insistently to add on another term, but I’m realising it’s time to stop. After Barcelona there will be major upheavals so now is the ideal time to pass on the chairmanship of the World Cup Committee”, says Demetz. The long-term president who has chaired the committee since 1986 adds rather ironically: “Since the World Cup was introduced there have only been two presidents, it’s almost like in the Vatican. A change is surely not a bad thing.” Demetz emphasised that the time of honorary functionaries in leading positions in skiing is definitely over – including his.
“I thank all the staff who supported me for over half a century. I particularly thank my friends at the International Ski Federation FIS for the trust they have shown me for decades,” Demetz concludes.
Â
Over the past decades, Erich held the following functions (selection):
1938 Born in Selva Val Gardena, lives in Lajen (BZ)
1963 – 1970 Chairman of the Ski Club Gardena
1965 Founder of the Application Committee for the 1970 Alpine Ski World Cup in Val Gardena
1969 Race Director for the first World Cup races in Val Gardena
1970 Vicepresident of the OC and Race Director of the 1970 Alpine Ski World Cup
Initiator of the world’s first interregional ski pass system, laying of the foundations for the “Dolomiti Superski”.
1971 -2004 Chairman of the OC and Race Director of the World Cup races in Val Gardena
1970 – 1992 FISI Vicepresident
1973 – 1975 Vicepresident of the newly founded FIS Alpine Committee
1975 – 1994 FIS Board member
1987 Founder of the community of interests Club 5
since 1986 Chairman of the FIS World Cup Committee
